BUSINESSES around Claygate have expressed concern at the number of burnt-out cars being dumped in a rural area of the village.

So far this month, firefighters have been called out on three separate occasions to extinguish vehicle fires on Woodstock Lane South.

On November 5, there were two incidents within three hours of each other and on November 18 a caravan was found ablaze.

According to the fire service, since the start of the year there have been five roadworthy cars torched and seven vehicles found without an engine on the road or in its immediate vicinity. One firefighter said it was a well-known problem area for the service.

“Most of our fire reports from Woodstock Lane South are of a suspicious origin and it is a greater proportion than would suggest it is down to chance,” he said. “Most cars catch fire because of an engine or an electrical problem. However, when we turn up and see vehicles on fire without an engine in them, there is a doubt as to how they have started.”

Chris Cornish, secretary of Surbiton Golf Club, said he was concerned at the potential environmental impact the dumped cars could have.

“There is a lot of woodland around here and some of it is quite ancient, so it would be a real shame to lose it in a fire,” he said.

“It is inconvenient for us and it has become unhygienic. It mainly seems to happen where Woodstock Lane meets Clayton Road.

“There are two or three farms and riding schools along here and it is not ideal for them. It could be dangerous for children at the riding schools, too.

Steve Banting, manager of the Chessington Equestrian Centre on Clayton Road, said it was a major concern for everyone in the area.

“It is not only burnt-out cars being dumped – there are a lot of instances of fly-tipping as well,” he said.

“We are on the edge of suburbia, where the countryside meets the town, so it is an easy target for people to dump their cars and tip out their rubbish.

“I don’t know what you can do about it. We are in the process of installing CCTV cameras but it only sorts out the immediate locality.

Christine Smith, warden of The Oaks gypsy site in Woodstock Lane South, said that she had not noticed any problems.

“Everyone loves blaming us, we are just scapegoats for everything,” she said. “People like to point the finger but we haven’t seen any cars being dumped around here.

Anthony Jeziorski, head of environmental care at Elmbridge Council, said he had not had any reports of dumped cars on Woodstock Lane South since last year.